Set on the eve of the 1997 general election, bumbling Conservative MP George Dank climbs a tree in protest at the building of a new bypass through his constituency. The protest soon draws all the wrong kind of attention as smears hit the newspaper, orchestrated by the villainous Robbins. To make matters worse, university job cuts are looming, which means George could be soon joined by his scholarly wife, Hermione.

Hermione’s hero is Dante and she can’t help finding parallels between the poet and her husband. As she falls in love all over again with her formally inept, but now seemingly dashing husband, things get complicated when their daughter Anne comes to join them too… Will the disaster-prone MP ever be able to climb down from his bypass protest? Is Hermione’s instruction of fellow protestors in medieval siege tactics really the best idea? And what on earth will they do with that stuffed owl? The battle rages and George is up a tree - can he save his family, the constituency and moreover, the day?

Protesting Too Much writer Sally Phillips is an actor, comedian, and television presenter. Phillips is known for her roles in Jam & Jerusalem, I’m Alan Partridge and Miranda as well as playing the title role in the BBC Radio 4 comedy show Clare in the Community. Kate Brooke is a film and TV writer whose credits include Mr Selfridge and A Discovery of Witches. This sitcom also features cameos from broadcasting legends Brian Perkins and John Humphrys.

George Dank ...... John Fortune

Hermione Dank ...... Eleanor Bron

Anne Dank ...... Louisa Milwood-Haigh

Robbins ...... Brian Bowles

Dan Richard / Ernie 2- Chris Pavlo

Skip / Gladys / Irma / WPC Pierce ...... Elliott Nicholls

Jennifer / Aurora ...... Sally Phillips

Taxi Driver / Nigel / Peter / Ernie 1 / Ken / Sarge / Security Guard ...... Alan Francis

Brian Perkins as himself

John Humphrys as himself

Written by Sally Phillips and Kate Brooke

Produced by Jane Berthoud

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 1997